King: Favre likely to avoid suspension in Sterger case

Posted by Mike Florio on December 5, 2010, 7:38 PM EDT

As the NFL’s investigation regarding Vikings quarterback Brett Favre’s alleged behavior with respect to former Jets in-house sideline reporter Jenn Sterger continues to sputter toward a conclusion (good thing it’s on a “fast track“), Peter King of NBC and SI.com reports that it’s “likely” Favre will avoid a suspension once the situation is resolved.

King also said that, given the amount of time that has passed during an investigation that has been delayed by an indecisive Sterger and a CSI-style review of the digital footprint created by certain photos received by Sterger, enough mitigating evidence has arisen to possibly allow Favre to avoid a fine.

Still, no final decision has been made. At this point, however, a suspension seems unlikely, and it’s possible that Favre will avoid any punishment at all.

Since Jehovah, God ‘o Heaven seemed to be dealing Brett liberal punishment for whatever transgressions he may have committed, Roger, God ‘o Hell decided there was no point in piling on.

Deb says:Dec 5, 2010 8:15 PM

Really? After screwing with the Vikes’ season for months, the NFL is not going to suspend a player because two years ago he chatted up a woman who never uttered a syllable of complaint? You sure? And how long did it take Goodell to decide he wouldn’t suspend Vince Young for assaulting someone in a strip club? Or Brandon Underwood (also a married guy, not that anyone seems to care) for his sordid hooker escapades–or did they legalized prostitution in Wisconsin)?

Yeah … Goodell is the soul of fairness. Pardon me while I gag.

Wonder if Santa will get sued this year for getting soot on the carpet?

Its too bad the NFL would choose to look the other way just because its Favre but at this point, I hope Favre plays on and the Vikings go 9-7. They will miss the playoffs for sure and ruin any top 10 and maybe even top 15 draft pick. They can’t even lose right.

momobait says:Dec 5, 2010 8:32 PM

I guess the league thinks playing for the Vikings is enough punishment.

snarkygurl says:Dec 5, 2010 8:33 PM

Is this a surprise to anyone? It doesn’t take a rocket scientist – or Peter King – to figure this one out. Favre’s greatest punishment will come, not from the NFL, but from Deanna. Hell hath no fury….

I am not so sure that people have forgotten. I also believe that it was his tarnished legacy within his own locker room that lead to a lack of respect for his player that he enjoyed last year. Favre was the leader of the team last year, who was the leader this year?

His wife is going to leave him.
He will get his I promise you.
How does she feel every fall when he runs away when he should be home. Since leaving Green Bay, every coach he has played for has been fired… why isn’t that mentioned?

Deb says:Dec 5, 2010 10:37 PM

@thetooloftools …

His wife wrote a book talking about the infidelities they engaged in both before and after they married. This is not new to her–and it happened two years ago. For all you know, he told her about it at the time and they worked through it. Your personal hatred for this football player is nuts.

richm2256 says:Dec 5, 2010 10:44 PM

I will forever remember “Deb” for her continued defense of accused sexual deviant quarterbacks.

If you’re an NFL quarterback, and you’re white, and you’re an accused sexual pervert, you can always count on good ol’ Deb – who claims to work FOR sexually abused women, by the way – to come to your defense.

Deb says:Dec 5, 2010 11:22 PM

@rich2256 …

That’s infantile on so many levels.

First, Ben did not rape anyone. That’s beyond doubt from the evidence. If you think he’s the only pro athlete out hitting on women in bars, you’re exceptionally naive. Women have been throwing themselves at NFL players as long as there have been NFL players. I guarantee guys on every team act exactly like Roethlisberger and take advantage of what’s thrown their way. It may be distasteful, but it is what it is.

Second, as I’ve said, I don’t condone Favre’s personal behavior, but whether you like it or not, it’s none of my business or yours. What I’m condemning is a commissioner who picks and chooses players to sanction. Why is it more disturbing for Favre to hit on a woman two years ago than for Underwood to get into an altercation with two hookers a few months ago? Or for Young to assault someone in strip club? It isn’t. But Goodell only takes an interest when there’s bad PR–which is ridiculous.

Third, you haven’t been paying attention. I’ve defended several African American players. The racism–like the judgmentalism and obsessive hatred of a rival team–is yours.

You have been steadfast in your defense of Roethlisberger, saying he did not rape anyone, etc. My question to you is why do you not apply that same logic to Favre?

Now realize, I am not saying he didn’t send the pics, text, voice messages, and whatever else. What I am saying is where is the proof that he did it unsolicited? For him to have done anything wrong (only in the eyes of the NFL), wouldn’t there need to be proof that what he did wasn’t asked for?

While there was proof that Roethlisberger did a few things wrong, which is why he was suspended, where is the proof about Favre?

Deb says:Dec 6, 2010 3:26 PM

@importantpftcomment …

Whether or how I defend people in different circumstances is all about the circumstances, not the people.

Roethlisberger’s was a criminal accusation of rape. And there was no evidence of felony wrongdoing. The media publicized only the statements of the accuser and her two sorority sisters–not the multiple statements refuting them. They completely fabricated their stories, including the part about the bodyguard blocking the door. NFL Security investigated and knew Ben was innocent. But Goodell still had to satisfy a bloodthirsty public. So he rewrote the personal conduct policy to make Ben the first player ever suspended without prior disciplinary action, warning, arrest, or violation of league drug or gambling policies. In his suspension letter, Goodell said he was punishing Roethlisberger for issues related to alcohol. If you know anything about NFL players, singling out one for behaving badly in a bar is ridiculous. But as a Steelers fan, I’m glad he gave my wayward QB a kick in the pants.

With Brett, the league supposedly was investigating because of the potential for a sexual harassment claim against a league club. My argument from the get-go is that the voice mails (which Brett confirms are his) would never rise to the level of sexual harassment even if they were not solicited. There’s no proof the weewee shots are his. But even if they are, though they would be considered sexual harassment if unsolicited, I don’t believe she could sell that to a jury two years after the fact. So there’s no point debating whether or not she solicited them. The only issue is whether she has a winnable lawsuit. She doesn’t. So the NFL should never have touched this. If this had been a lesser-known player, I don’t believe Goodell would have investigated. As with Roethlisberger, he made an issue of this because it involved a high-profile player and the media was involved.

All I can say is thank you. You have shown that you are 100% hypocritical in you thinking and proven what many around the board have said about you to be true.

Deb says:Dec 6, 2010 6:38 PM

Well, gee, I’m so glad I took the trouble to politely answer your question and to repost it when it didn’t go through the first time.

Are you really so stupid and immature that you think a criminal accusation for rape is identical to rumors about a guy sending photos of his weewee to a woman?

Yes, apparently you are.

Roethlisberger’s was a criminal accusation of felony rape. You told me there was proof of something regarding Roethlisberger and that’s why he was suspended. No, that is not the case. You are welcome to investigate all the case files and listen to the prosecutors just as I did. There was absolutely no proof of felony wrongdoing which is why Roethlisberger was not charged. The NFL isn’t a legal body and does not need proof of wrongdoing to suspend a player. I’m sorry you’re too stupid and immature to realize that.

Then you asked me where the proof of wrongdoing in the Favre case is. I told you there is no Favre case. There is Internet gossip that never should have been the subject of an NFL investigation. Favre admitted it’s him on the voice mails. So what? Asking out a woman is not sexual harassment under the statutes. No one can prove that’s his weewee, and even if it were, no case has been filed nor could she win it if it were. So the league has harassed Favre, his family, and the Vikings for no other reason than to appease the press … which is exactly why he suspended Roethlisberger.

What evidence makes it beyond doubt???? If you think that just because the female ultimately decided not to pursue charges you are sadly mistaken my friend. 80% of all rapes that occur in the U.S. are never brought to prosecution by the accuser. Not because the rape didn’t happen, but unfortunately the system is set up that the victim suffers just as much as the perp during the whole process.

Deb says:Dec 6, 2010 6:44 PM

Oh, and unimportantpftcommenter–thank you. That’s the last time I’ll answer what I thought was a polite inquiry but instead was just another ambush from a d**kh**d looking for an opportunity to slam me for defending Favre.

Did it ever occur to you that some of us work for a living and have better things to do than answer questions for jackasses who are just looking for reasons to attack people? Next time, Mr. Favre-hater, just have the balls to post your attack instead of wasting my time. I’m sorry you petty little boys don’t like that I’ve defended the guy, but too bad. He’s a great football player and his private life is his own business. Grow up.

Deb says:Dec 6, 2010 7:13 PM

@Wisconsin77 …

Gee, thanks for the update. As a rape survivor who’s worked with rape victims for years, I’d never have figured that out for myself.

If any of you had bothered to research the case, read the case files, and listen to the prosecutor and investigators instead of just reading the headlines and listening to the sensational press accounts, you’d have discovered the prosecutor said he didn’t have a case with or without her cooperation. In fact, he said he didn’t even have probable cause–the reasonable assumpt a crime occurred. That’s because a rape case requires two things: penetration and evidence that penetration occurred against her will. As the prosecutor said, he didn’t have either.

The medical exam showed the woman didn’t have intercourse with Roethlisberger. That, love, would be my proof positive that he didn’t rape her. For the unbelievably slow in the PFT audience, she alleged a vaginal rape that her medical exam showed did not happen. Nor, as the prosecutor said, if there had been penetration could he have proved it was against her will since he had multiple witnesses in multiple establishments on the record saying she pursued him all night, buying her own drinks, following him from bar to bar, initiating graphic sexual conversation with him, and trying to get him to come back to her place.

There is a reason no charge were filed–it’s not that she didn’t file them. The story about the bodyguard blocking the door? An invention of her two sorority sisters refuted by the other witnesses. That’s why the DA said at the end of it all that he hoped they’d learned their lesson–not something a seasoned prosecutor says when he thinks a rapist is getting away.

All this information is in the case files.

Deb says:Dec 6, 2010 7:19 PM

@Wisconsin77 …

Sorry for the sarcasm. We’ve all been discussing this for months … which is why Richm2256 didn’t argue. It gets old dealing with people like him and the unimportantcomment guy.

This isn’t an isolated situation. There’s also plenty of evidence that the Nevada woman who filed the civil suit against Roethlisberger manufactured her rape allegation. That’s why he countersued. The sorority sisters in Milledgeville were teasing him about the Nevada case and got thrown out of the party–that’s what set the whole thing in motion. I’m sad to say false rape claims–especially against athletes–are more common than you’d think. Makes it that much harder for real victims.

Ya know, I was trying to give you the benefit of doubt, I had not seen some of the postings you had made, and had only seen some responses to things you said. I decided that I would see for myself and ask you a simple question.

1) Other than call you hypocritical, I didn’t say anything about you, call you names, change your name, etc. I find it odd that you would do those exact things to me. Pretty much shows your maturity level doesn’t it.

2) You are so blinded by your defense of Roethlisberger that you cannot even see the hypocritical things you are saying.

3) I never claimed Roethlisberger committed a felony, you brought that up all on your own. What I did say is there was proof he did something wrong. That was the SECOND time he allowed himself to be put in a situation where he could be ACCUSED of wrong doing. That and that alone is what he did wrong and why he was suspended. He didn’t learn his lesson the first time, so he got suspended in hopes he would learn it now. Hopefully it doesn’t actually take a woman to be raped and be able to prove it to drill it thru his thick skull! The NFL has every right to guard its image as it sees fit, and that is what they did. Go ahead, try and deny that!

4) Favre doesn’t need you to defend him. If, and I do mean IF it was to be proven (and it won’t happen) that msgs were sent unsolicited, it would be a first offense and all he would get is talked to, much like your boy did the first time he made his mistake in Vegas. The league is REQUIRED to follow up, find if there was a problem and take appropriate action, just like they did with Roethlisberger.

5) I’m not a Favre hater, in fact, I have said in many posts that unless it could be proven anything was sent unsolicited, they could not suspend him. As a matter of fact, I am a Vikings fan, and have welcomed him to the team since day one.

You came on here in the pretense of asking a simple question, which I politely answered. Then you came on out of nowhere and lambasted me for being a hypocrite with no explanation, leaving me feeling ambushed and vulnerable when I thought I was being polite to a fellow fan. It was a dirty thing to do. And you are a dirty man for doing it.

When you said proof of wrongdoing, the implication is that you are talking about proof of wrongdoing in the criminal case that was being investigated. As a rape survivor, that’s not some abstract thing to me. I spent MONTH studying the evidence in that case and trying to post on it objectively. For my trouble, I had people come on here and post detailed accounts of how I should be raped. The poor moderators were working overtime, and I’m still having nightmares.

If, you had read the MONTHS of posts we’ve ALL exchanged on these subjects, you’d know I’ve called out Roethlisberger REPEATEDLY for being an egomaniacal jackass and for his abhorrent treatment of people. Long BEFORE he was suspended, I called for the Steelers to do it themselves to rein in his behavior. I’ve said over and over that on a personal level he deserved everything the commissioner doled out because of his behavior and that I supported the suspension because he needed the kick in the pants.

I’m not even particularly a Roethlisberger fan. He’s a fine quarterback but has thus far displayed a subpar work ethic that’s kept him from being all he could be, which has frustrated me for years–something else that I’ve posted time and time again.

These are complex issues. It’s possible to appreciate that a suspension is in a player’s best interest and STILL recognize that the commissioner did it for HIS OWN interests. It’s possible to recognize that a player’s behavior needs to be reined in and STILL recognize that it is no different than the behavior of hundreds of other players who have been allowed to slide. It’s possible to be grateful that your player was taught a lesson and STILL be contemptuous of the fact that the commissioner rewrote the rules to suspend him, making grand speeches about a new day in the personal conduct policy, then FAILING to apply that new policy to Vince Young and Brandon Underwood.

Yes, you petty little man, it is possible for THINKING people to see the complexities in the world, the layers in different issues, and recognize them ALL. You did not ASK me what I thought of Ben Roethlisberger personally. You did not ASK me how I felt personally about his suspension or his behavior. You started talking about the causes of his suspension and I answered TRUTHFULLY.

Ben Roethlisberger had a one-night stand in Nevada with a woman older than he is, and according to her statement no alcohol was involved. She texted her friends she couldn’t wait to see him again and those texts are on file with the court. Then a year later, she filed a $3 million rape suit. My “boy” didn’t make a mistake in Vegas other than screwing the wrong woman. And he’s not the only one. There have been false rape suits against at least a half dozen current players. The league isn’t involved because this is a second offense, and there’s no women “almost” being raped here, you bloody fool. Roger Goodell is a political animal and he did the politically expedient thing to feed a media frenzy. Do you actually think that if Roethlisberger were a real sexual predator that a talking-to and a four-week suspension would cure him. Oh my God, you are an idiot.

As for Brett, again the league isn’t in this because it’s a first or second offense but because the MEDIA is in it. You don’t even know what’s going on here, do you?

Hopefully, I learned something?

You are the biggest fool since Adam. And the only thing funnier than your stupidity is your arrogance.

First you make the assumption that I am a Favre hater, then when I use small and simple words to explain to you how you are wrong, now I am a devoted puppy. Your assumption of something you had no clue about makes one think you have no clue what you are talking about in other matters as well. Oh wait, that has already been proven hasn’t it.